Oct 29 2008
Suspect In The Murder Of Jennifer Hudson’s Family Has Long Criminal History
William “Flex” Balfour and Julia Hudson
As the world grieves the death of Jennifer Hudson’s family , new details emerge about William Balfour , the man being held by police in Chicago as a primary suspect.
William Balfour has become a celebrity. His “Myspace page” has received thousand of hits in the past few days from both friends, and people curious to find out more about the man associated with the murders of Darnell Donnerson, Jason Hudson, and Julian King .
On Myspace, Balfour indicates that he likes to be called “Flex”. He lists his occupation as a baker, and says that he is a “Proud parent”. There are pictures of his wife and stepson, Jennifer Hudson’s sister Julia and her son, Julian, and one of his brother-and-law, Jason. From all appearances, Balfour seem to be a loving husband and a good father.
But there also appeared to be another side to “Flex”. His criminal record dates back to 1998, when he was arrested for driving a stolen vehicle. While out on bail, he was seen breaking into a Chevy Suburban. As the owner of the vehicle tried to stop him, Balfour sped away with the man clinging to the roof rack.
Balfour led police on a high speed chase through city streets and highways, finally crashing into a telephone pole with the vehicle’s owner still on top. He was sentenced to seven years in prison for carjacking and attempted murder, and was released in May, 2006.
After his release, he rekindled a relationship with Julia Hudson, and they were married in December of the same year. The couple moved in with Julia’s mother, and there seemed to be constant bickering between Balfour and Donnerson, according to Michelle Balfour, William’s mother.
Balfour moved out of the home in May 2008, and in June, he was detained by Chicago police after he was spotted fleeing a site where gunshots were fired. After searching his vehicle, they found what turned out to be a rock of crack cocaine estimated to have a street value of about $100.
According to his parole officer, Balfour could have been sent back to prison on a parole violation, but entered a note in his record which read, “Per supervisor… no warrant. Agent to monitor offender, impose sanctions”.
Balfour was a no-show for a meeting with his parole officer on Friday, the day that the bodies of Donnerson and her son were found.
